Well, folks, tomorrow is the last day of January and the official end of my “Slow Month” challenge. Here is what I’ve purchased since my last update:
Apple Market (Jan. 24th)
I forgot to write it down but I’m pretty sure this was what I bought. I don’t have a receipt because I always donate them to a local mission project and never keep them (the store does this) but it was around $40, as I recall. I gave in to the temptation of a new recipe, hence the Mexican ingredients. In addition, I provided a large casserole of macaroni and cheese for United Campus Ministry which accounts for the macaroni and large package of cheese.
- 2 jalapeno peppers
- bananas
- lettuce
- jar of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- small jar roasted red peppers
- tortilla chips
- (3) bags of macaroni (the smaller ones were on sale and it was cheaper this way)
- 16 oz. package cheddar
- (2) half-dozen cartons of organic eggs (they only have them this way)
- 1 sympathy card
Total: about $40
Braum’s (Jan. 24th)
- 1/2 gallon milk
- 1 pound butter
Total: $5.08
Braum’s (Jan. 29th)
- bananas
- grapes
- (2) 8 oz. packages of sharp cheddar cheese
- package of sliced cheddar
- cottage cheese
- (2) limes
- package of flour tortillas
- 1/2 gallon milk
- 1/2 pint cream
- package of three peppers (red, yellow, green)
- got free pound of butter for buying over $20 worth
Total: $24.18
I must also admit that I did succumb to a purchase for my Kindle. A book I wanted was on sale for $4.99 so I bought it. That, and the magazine earlier in the month have been my only non-food personal expenses, though.
The last total was $95.12 and when you add these it brings the grand total for the month to:
~$169.37~
I suppose that isn’t too bad for feeding three of us most of the time, especially since most of what I bought yesterday at Braum’s ($24.18) will actually be eaten in February.
I did run out of my organic Earl Grey tea a few days ago and have had to make do with organic black tea. I will be receiving my regular shipment from Amazon in a day or two. Yay! The other item that I personally have missed is blue cheese dressing. David and Chris both prefer ranch and I make that up with a mix I bought from Azure Standard in some mayo and a little milk, sometimes with a little sour cream added. I will also be receiving my scheduled shipments of Wild Planet low-mercury tuna (6 cans) and organic black beans (1 case). My monthly co-op order will arrive week after next and I am going shopping in the city with my daughter February 9th (local, natural health food stores).
So what have I learned from this experience?
1. Well, for starters I’ve discovered that I still have LOTS of food around. If you’ll notice, most of
what I’ve bought this month consisted of fresh produce and dairy. And I still have a lot of produce left.
-Potatoes, carrots, onions, oranges, apples, grapes, limes, pears, celery, cauliflower, kale, sweet potatoes, acorn squash, cabbage and probably more I’m forgetting.
-We barely touched the meat in the freezer so I still have a whole chicken, turkey breast, ham, andouille sausage and 2 packages of organic sausage links.
-Staples like pasta, rice, baking ingredients, beans, oatmeal and such are still in pretty good supply.
2. I tried a few new recipes which turned out to be keepers and for the most part, utilize ingredients we tend to keep on hand.
3. We use a lot of cheese. Since we are mostly vegetarian, cheese plays a large role in our diet.
4. We need laying hens soon. I really miss my chickens, especially when paying outrageous prices for organic eggs.
5. Our true needs are few and even my wants are not excessive. Sure, I periodically think of something I want or “need” but for the most part I’m pretty satisfied with what we have. Oh! That reminds me though of something else I purchased not included above. Several months ago I had bought a pair of Birkenstock shoes (with closed toes) for winter and was given a $20 off credit on my next order. I got an email telling me that it expires tomorrow so this morning I went ahead and ordered another pair of Birkenstocks just like the ones I wear nearly every day. I’ve had them a few years and while they are still in good shape, the soles are wearing down a bit. I can get them repaired by Birkenstock, virtually indefinitely, so I wanted a second pair that I can break in before that becomes necessary. Many people have worn their Birks for 20-30 years so I figure this is a good investment.
6. I can probably do this again for the month of February with little difficulty.
So, it’s been a good month and really not difficult at all. I didn’t get around to trying to make my own tortillas because I had some in the freezer which I wanted to use up first. I did make homemade hotdog buns and beer bread but otherwise didn’t bake regular sandwich bread in January. I started the month with two loaves of homemade bread in the freezer and that was sufficient. Tomorrow, however, that’s hopefully going to get done. I did find a recipe for granola which David loves so I have that option for his breakfast cereal now. I will continue my search for good recipes using basic ingredients and for homemade substitutes for the few things I’m not already making myself.
More to the point of all this, I’ve done a lot of thinking about consumerism and the difference between “need” and “want”. I’ll be sharing more of those thoughts as I continue a similar challenge for the month of February. I’d love to hear your thoughts on all this and if you’ve done something similar and blogged about it, please leave a link in the comments so I can check it out.
I just love seeing "accountings" like these. wish I weren't too lazy to do such a thing…such a great idea to take stock and find out if you're on track!
I like these "accountings", too. Probably because I'm so nosy. 😉 This was actually sort of fun to do and I look forward to continuing a modified version into February. I know I'll be spending more in February as I plan to add to my freezer stock. Still, I want to keep a pretty tight rein on my expenditures and continue to challenge myself to be creative in the kitchen.